


Heaven's Gate

by vonriegan



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Major Spoilers, Post-Time Skip, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 03:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20090656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonriegan/pseuds/vonriegan
Summary: This was not how things were supposed to go.No, this is fate.





	Heaven's Gate

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the Fall Out Boy song of the same name. Please note this contains major spoilers concerning the time skip and Edelgard's route.

This was not how things were supposed to go.

_No, this is fate._

Byleth grips their side, the scent of metal soaking them. Their muscles scream and protest at every swing of their sword, every attempt to parry, threatening to give out. But they can’t—not now. Not when they’ve seen what happens to him.

They strike the warrior in front of them, pushing the body away as they narrowly miss the arrow of an archer hidden behind a pillar. This was the last of the Empire’s army—they’re so close to calling an end to this senseless war. They just can’t lose him now.

Byleth keeps running. They saw him towards the east by one of the ships. Hopefully he would still be there, though who could really know? Turning back time never was as simple as they would hope.

They catch a glimpse of red at the corner of their eye. Not blood this time, though they are dripping with it from the hundreds of Empire soldiers they have killed and from their own wounds that they have sustained.

They have to get to him before Edelgard. Maybe they can fight together, or at the very least fall back, escape Derdriu and recuperate somewhere safe. After all, the Empire doesn’t have much more strength or bodies left.

They turn the corner, and there by the dock—he’s there atop his Wyvern surrounded by enemy troops, a golden flash of sunlight in an otherwise horrific battlefield. He’s fighting valiantly, shooting arrows so quickly that even Byleth can’t discern where they fly, dodging attacks in artful lunges—all the tactics they’ve taught him now being executed on instinct.

They’re still too far, so Byleth sprints towards him, suddenly forgetting just how dangerous that could be. None of that mattered. They just had to save him.

“Claude!” they shriek once they’re within earshot.

A rush of air passes by their ear. They see the glint of a hand axe flying towards him.

“No!”

He isn’t able to dodge in time, the blade of the axe cleaving into his Wyvern and he’s falling, his bow tumbling out of his hands. The Empire’s troops rush towards him, weapons pointed.

Time stops in a dizzying burst of purple and black haze, and Byleth is back at the far west end of the battlefield. They’ll just have to try again. There has to be another way.

_How many times do you intend to do this? I thought I have told you before— _

If he’s at the same place, they can take a shortcut. Surely, if they get to him sooner then … 

They round the corner again, but this time he isn’t here. Byleth’s heart jumps into their throat, and they search towards the south to find him. But if things are different, maybe he has already fought the troops off. Maybe he was able to gain the upper hand.

By the time they do find him again, it’s too late. A dagger flies through the air and pierces through his throat before Byleth even has the chance to call his name.

The shortcut didn’t work, so they’ll just have to try a different tactic.

So they turn back time again, and they see a lance ram through his heart by a Pegasus knight.

Again—and they see him struck in the back by a soldier’s sword.

Again—and the lights in his wonderfully bright eyes dim as the miasma consumes him.

And again.

And again. 

_You cannot keep this up for much longer. You must stop before you fall yourself._

Byleth staggers towards the east again, using the wall as support to stand. Turning back time has taken its toll on them. Their strength and sanity are all too quickly diminishing.

But he’s here this time, and this time he’s taken down all of the surrounding soldiers, shooting an arrow through the very last one. 

“Claude.” Byleth’s voice comes out broken, tearstained. Is this it? Have they finally found the right timeline? Have they finally saved him?

The sound of thundering feet comes down from the bridge. Edelgard and the last of her troops rush towards Claude. Another burst of adrenaline and Byleth is throwing themselves into the heart of the battle. They will save him. They have to.

They try to go for the emperor first but her troops block their way. So they continue to swing their sword in a fit of desperate rage, taking down anyone that dares to approach.

Not now, please, not when they’re so close.

“Do you yield then? You’ve never known when to give up,” comes Edelgard’s voice amidst the sound of clashing metal.

“Well, I can’t just surrender so easily,” Claude replies. He can barely even get the words out as he struggles to stand up next to his fallen Wyvern. “I’m responsible for the others. Wouldn’t it be better to let me go and have me in your debt?”

Edelgard doesn’t say anything more. She never was one for unnecessary conversation. She slices her axe clean across his throat.

He’s falling while Edelgard declares the Empire’s victory.

He hits the ground with a sickening _thud_ while she orders the troops to retreat. They don’t need to shed anymore blood now that the leader of the Leicester Alliance is gone.

The warrior in front of Byleth rams their fist against the side of their head in a disorienting punch. They crumple to the floor as Edelgard looks over in their direction.

She casts them a glance, staring for a long moment, expression blank and unchanging, and walks away.

Byleth waits for the cloud of purple and black smoke to fill their vision but nothing comes.

_This was fate. I know how much you want to change it, but there is nothing more that we can do._

It can’t be.

_It is._

Byleth drags themselves over to Claude’s body. They bury their face against his still chest, tears mixing in with both sunlight and blood alike.

This was not how things were supposed to go, but fate does not show mercy even to the gods.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Claude. This game has consumed my life.
> 
> I actually haven't finished the game just yet... I'm doing Claude's route, but heard and watched spoilers of Edelgard's route. Then I needed to get this idea out on paper to hopefully stop brooding about it, but I'm still sad.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
